Kennedy of the West
by Smash King24
Summary: Leon is ordered by the president to take Sherry out to the country so she can recover from the trauma of the outbreak. Claire comes along with them. However, when they discover an old town located in Texas, they realize things are far from normal.
1. Road Trip

Kennedy of the West

Chapter 1: Road Trip

"Leon, could you PLEASE turn the volume down?"

The ex-cop turned to his travel companion in the passenger seat of his jeep. She gave him a stern look from the corner of her eye before turning back to the open road.

"Aw, come on, Claire. This is our time! We are free to do whatever we want!" replied Leon as he attempted to talk over the loud music that was obviously Incubus.

They had been driving for 4 hours straight without any pit stops. All three of the occupants were trying to make the best they could of what time they had. Strangely enough, Leon Kennedy, the driver, didn't feel the least bit fatigued from the long road trip. Claire reached over and turned the radio off, causing Leon to jerk a little in his seat.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, pretending he didn't know the answer.

"It's giving me a headache. Seriously, no more music. I know it's been a long trip so far, and I know you want to take your mind off the outbreak, but I just can't take it. Can't we at least enjoy the scenery?" she replied.

"Yeah Leon, you should pay attention to the road when you're driving," said Sherry from the back seat.

"Hey, what did I tell you about leaning over the seat? Don't crease the leather! You don't know how much it cost me to get this thing fixed after what happened in Raccoon City," replied Leon.

Claire sighed.

Yet again, he was ignoring her and her comments. She's always known Leon to be a bit of an airhead--which was an understatement-- but he was always the most dependable guy when faced with life's toughest challenges. Raccoon City was the prime example. Claire was certain that if it wasn't for him, she would never be alive to join him on this little trip. This little "vacation." That's what Leon called it anyway. He had quit his job at the RPD the very day he was accepted, and in return was offered the occupation to work for President Graham. Oh no, this road trip was far from a vacation. He had been ordered by his superiors to take after a little girl who went by the name of Sherry Birkin. Surprisingly, she was also a survivor of Raccoon City.

But mind you, she wasn't any ordinary girl.

No, Sherry was the only daughter of the infamous William Birkin, creator of the G-Virus. She never received as much fame as her father among the employees at Umbrella, but she was recognized at her school as the shy, lonely type of girl, which is really a shame too because both her parents were killed in the city by some "unfortunate accident." An accident that Sherry doesn't like to look back upon. However, she knew her ways about the world and how it worked. Having a mother and a father as an Umbrella scientist did have its advantages. But she never liked to take advantage of anyone. Sherry would rather much make friends than enemies any day, which is exactly the way Claire was too.

"It sure is boring around here," moaned Sherry.

She was looking out the window, her golden hair dancing in the wind. There really wasn't much to see out here. Just a bunch of cacti, tumble weeds, and the occasional jack rabbit, which of course would go into hiding as soon as anything came within 30 feet of it. Even the sky was boring; there weren't any clouds in sight. When Leon had told her about Texas, she had really hoped to expect more then an open desert.

You could always leave it to Leon to sucker you into going on a trip with him. He had a way with people, especially strangers. He always knew how to put on the charm and make a friend out of anyone, no matter who they really were on the inside. Nope, Leon Kennedy didn't care.

Claire, on the other hand, was pensive and a bit more cautious. She always paid close attention to her surroundings, especially what happened after the outbreak. She couldn't even count the number of times she had greeted someone from behind, only to have them bite at her in response. And she could never get enough of these "zombies" because soon after the outbreak, she went on a mission to rescue her brother from the clutches of Umbrella. And if it was one thing about Umbrella that everyone hated--especially among the few STARS members that were still alive--it was how they had developed a reputation for bringing the dead back to life. Of course, most people never believed that old wives tale because they had never been put in a situation like STARS. Bringing the dead back to life? Ha. If they felt like insulting God, they could have done it in a more subtle way by not exposing their obvious flaws to the world.

Leon reached for the radio control switch only to have his hand slapped away by Claire Redfield. He turned his attention back to the empty road.

"Boring? Aw, Sherry, you are such a party pooper. Even after I spent so much time and effort fixing up this hunk of junk. It...It makes my heart bleed..." said Leon.

"Oh please, Leon. You're such a drama queen," replied Claire, even though the statement wasn't directed at her.

She really didn't know what to make of Leon Kennedy. On the outside, he looked like a strong, able-bodied man who could stand up and protect himself if the situation called for it. But on the inside, he was kind and generous, right to the point where he would risk his life for someone whom he just met. Indeed, Claire knew his soft side.

"But, there's nothing to do here. And I mean NOTHING," said Sherry from the back of the vehicle.

She shrank down into her seat, completely forgetting the fact that she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. But she did have a point. Leon had shown her pictures and postcards of Texas and all it had to offer to tourists. She remembered him showing her photographs of wide open ranges, beautiful stallions, and mountainous views that could rival that of Arklay.

Right now, she wasn't impressed.

There was nothing but sand and dirt as far as the eye could see. Even the road was made of dirt, which meant she couldn't stick her head out the window for fresh air without getting a mouthful of pebbles. It was as if this road Leon was driving upon led on forever.

"I have an idea! How about we play a game?" suggested Claire.

She too had succumbed to the awesome might that boredom was. Leon, on the other hand, was having the time of his life.

"A game? What for? Is this beautiful desert landscape not good enough for you?" asked Leon sarcastically.

"Touche. You know, you sound like you're Sherry's father," replied Claire.

Sherry shivered at the mere thought, so she decided to change the subject.

"What kind of game can we play, Claire?" she asked.

"See? Sherry wants to play."

"Hey! I'm just doing my job here! They told me I had to take Sherry out to the country so she could 'recuperate from the trauma of Raccoon City', which I don't even think is necessary because she looks fine right now. And the only reason why you're here, Claire, is because you're good with kids," said Leon, not even bothering to keep his eyes on the road.

"I'm not a kid!" shouted Sherry.

"Will you two calm down! Look Leon, if you don't want to play, that's fine. Sherry and I will play while you do your 'job'."

"Who said I wasn't playing?" replied the ex-cop.

Claire was about to slap him across the face, until Sherry piped up yet again.

"What are we going to play, Claire?" she asked.

"Hm. How about 'I Spy'?" she replied.

"Sounds good to me. Anything to get my mind moving again," said Leon all of a sudden.

"Okay!" said Sherry excitedly. "I spy with my little eye, something that is blue."

"The sky," replied Leon instantly.

"Aw, you got it," said Sherry, unsurprised.

"Hey Leon, I didn't know you were good at this game," joked Claire.

"I try," replied the ex-cop.

"Hm. Alright. I spy with my little eye, something that is black."

"Umm...Those rocks?" asked Sherry as the jeep passed by a family of large boulders.

"Nope."

"My shirt?" asked Leon, expecting the right answer as always.

"Nope."

"The jeep?"

"Nope."

"The rocks?"

"Sherry already said that, Leon."

"What? Oh, I must not have been listening."

"Don't think too hard. Sherry, do you give up?"

"Well, there isn't much else to look at outside," replied the girl. "What's the answer?"

"The tires," replied Claire plainly.

"What?" said Leon as he stuck his head out the window to see spinning wheels below the vehicle. He brought his head back in. "The tires are not black, Claire," he said.

"All tires are black, Leon. Don't think that you're pulling a fast one on me."

"I'm not. My tires are obviously brown."

"That's because of the dirt and sand. They used to be black before you brought them out here to the middle of no where."

"You're not playing the game rigtht."

"That's odd coming from you, consideirng you didn't even want to play in the first place."

"I never said that."

The next couple of miles were driven in silence.

Strangely, the weather had been awfully kind to them on that day. It really did feel like a desert because of the lack of rain water. Winds were reduced to nothing but calm breezes on the windshield. It was like a gift from God to be giving the traveling friends this kind of climate.

Claire and Leon didn't seem to notice though. Sherry was wondering what had happened to that game of I Spy they were playing. She meant to bring up something about it, but she was a bit afraid to interrupt the adults. They seemed to be trapped within their own minds, contemplating, thinking; the playful mood that once lingered in the contained air was no more. If this was their attitude towards each other in Raccoon City, they would have died instantly at the beginning of the nightmare. Maybe it was because the two hadn't seen each other in a long time.

It was true, Claire never saw Leon after the outbreak. She never saw him after the incident on Rockfort Island either. To her, Leon had somehow disappeared off the face of the earth. It wasn't until a few months after she had returned home that Claire received a message from Leon.

He told her that he had a new job, working by the president's side. Truly, Lady Luck was playing on his side. Of course, like his previous job, Leon was a rookie. So what would his first mission be? Why, taking Sherry Birkin on a road trip of course. That seemed like the most suitable task. It sounded easy enough--a little too easy to be any fun. So, Leon invited Claire for the ride to 'spice up' the trip considering they hadn't seen each other in some time. Already, things were starting off with a bang. Communication was key factor when associating with friends,new or old; somehow, the pair failed to see this.

Claire had forgotten all about I Spy.

Sherry sighed as she set her head on the left shoulder of Claire's seat and looked out the wind shield. It seemed the two "adults" didn't notice little Sherry in between them. She was getting sick and tired of this eerie quietness. She felt the urge to jump out of the speeding vehicle, but of course that would be stupid. No, she believed the only way to get out of this would be to---yet again--change the subject. The hitchhiker standing 50 feet up the road would be the perfect excuse to stop the conversation.

"Hey guys! What's that?" shouted Sherry.

She pointed a small finger at the target up the road, blocking Leon and Claire's view of each other. Leon squinted at the faint figure of a stubby person in a trench coat.

"Oh, I see it," he said, trying to make himself look interested.

"Don't tell me you're going to stop for him," replied Claire as she sat up in her seat.

Sherry sat back as Leon's jeep started to slow down.

"Aw, what's the harm?"

Leon pulled the vehicle up to the side of the hitchhiker. From the outward appearance, he could tell that this hiker was indeed a man. He was wearing a dirty blue trench coat, his hand still up and pointing to the left, as if he was signaling for someone else to pick him up. The strange man had greasy bandages wrapped around his hands and his face was shrouded by a hood and purple scarf, which covered the bottom half of his face. Leon looked out the window smiling, trying to make himself look professional in his large vehicle.

"Need a lift, pal?" he greeted and asked at the same time.

The man lowered his hand and was swaying from side to side in a rather uncomfortable manner. Strangely, he didn't have any baggage by his side. Where did he come from? After some silence, Claire spoke up.

"Is something wrong, Leon?" she asked.

"No, he looks perfectly fine," replied Leon as he turned to her. "At least, I think he is."

Leon turned back to the man in the trench coat.

"Um, are you okay?" he asked, this time with more concern.

The man continued to sway back and forth, his eyes hidden by the hood.

"Um... buddy?" said Leon as he snapped his fingers in front of the hiker's face.

The man stumbled a bit and shook himself, as if he had been rudely awaken from a deep slumber.

"Ugh...ah...what? Oh, good mornin', strangah!" greeted the stranger.

Leon didn't think it was possible, but it seemed that this man had been sleeping while standing up. What an odd character.

"Um, good morning," replied Leon with a weird look. It obviously wasn't morning. "How long have you been standing out here?"

The creepy man looked both ways across the street, verifying that there were no more vehicles coming by. He stepped closer to Leon's jeep and leaned upward, trying to get at the same level as the driver.

"Um, to be honest, strangah... I don't know."

He wasn't just an odd character. He was disturbed.

Claire put her hand on Leon's, a silent sign signifying for him to step on the gas and book it out of there. Leon and her exchanged glances before he took his hand away from her and turned back to the man.

"Do you need a ride?" asked Leon.

"That would be nice strangah. But I would rather not. See, I always wait on this road for tourists to pass by."

"Why?"

"So I can sell me merchandise, of course!" The man took a step back and opened up his trench coat, revealing an assortment of weapons and gadgets. "I got everythin' you need from basic combat knives to single-fire rockets! And just for you, I'll cut the prices! Fifteen percent off all items! Now, what're ya buyin'?"

Leon didn't respond, but just stared at the short man. Claire jabbed him in the side with her fist. It was then that he realized she was right.

It was time to leave.

Leon slammed his foot on the gas and sped off down the road, leaving the lonely merchant in the dust.

"Hey! Wait! Strangah come back!" he cried in between coughs of sand.

It was no use however. Even if Leon could hear him, there was no way in hell was was going to turn around.

"What the hell is wrong with that guy?" asked Claire all of a sudden.

Leon kept his eyes focused on the open road.

"I...I don't know. There was something definitely wrong with him though. Maybe the heat was getting to his head," he replied.

"Yeah, no kidding."

In the next half hour of endless driving, Claire and Leon conversed about the strange features of the hitch hiker; not only that, they gave their own personal opinions about what could have happened if they had picked him up. Little Miss Sherry couldn't help but smile to herself in the backseat. She too couldn't keep the image of that grotesque man out of her mind. However, that strange meeting with him wasn't a total loss.

At least Leon and Claire were talking again.


	2. The Hitch Hiker

Kennedy of the West

Chapter 2: The Hitch Hiker

"Did you see what I just saw? Or was it just me?"

"Oh, I saw it all right. But...I don't believe it."

Leon and Claire stared wide eyed as the image of the creepy man disappeared in the rear view mirror. That was the second time they had passed him in over an hour. After a few seconds of cold silence, Leon spoke up.

"Wasn't that the guy that tried to hitch a ride with us?"

"Yes," replied Claire.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. He's pretty... distinctive looking."

"That's what I thought. But how in the hell did he manage to get in front of us on foot?"

"I... I don't know."

Sherry was sleeping in the back seat. After the first strange meeting with the hitch hiker, she quickly dozed off into dream land, hoping that they would reach their destination by the time she woke up. Well, it's been an hour since then, and already Leon felt they were getting no where. The same stretch of land seemed to pass them by every 10 minutes. It was almost as if the entire landscape was repeating. Claire could have sworn she saw that family of boulders several times before. Even Leon had a feeling that the sun hadn't moved since their departure. In this deserted wasteland, time seemed to stop, and they were trying to drive by it unnoticed. Of course, that would be just silly because it is impossible for time to stop.

But repeating itself, now that was a probability. What else could explain how the merchant had somehow caught up to them? Leon saw him standing up ahead in the same position as he saw him the first time. The only thing different about him was the fact that he was awake. Both passengers in the front of the vehicle couldn't believe their eyes. Leon made the smart choice by driving by as quick as he could. The merchant was once again left in the dust. Two meetings with the same hitch hiker over the course of an hour. Something definitely wasn't right here.

"You don't think he was trying to scare us?" asked Claire.

Leon kept his eyes fixed on the road, attempting to spot the hitch hiker yet again if he was ahead of them.

"I don't think so. He has better things to do than to just stand in the heat and scare tourists. But something was wrong with him. He looked like he was possessed. Even the way he talked to me just sent shivers up and down my spine," replied Leon.

"What do you think we should do?"

"Nothing. We have to ignore it. You know, it could have been just a mirage we saw. I mean, we have been driving for a while."

"A mirage that we both saw? I thought mirages make you see water, not demented looking people."

"Whatever the case, we can't let it distract us. We're only a half an hour away from Little Town. The chances of us running into that guy again are slim to none. You might as well get some shut eye."

"No way. If you see that guy again, I want to be there to witness it too."

"Alright, suit yourself."

It seemed that the unfortunate encounter with the merchant had caused Leon and Claire to open up to each other again. Sherry was missing out. It only makes sense for two people to work together when faced with a common foe. This hitch hiker, however, was no ordinary foe; you couldn't even call him a foe considering he meant no real harm. It just made sense to avoid people like that. They really have a way of rubbing off on you. Both Leon and Claire had their eyes on the open road. And just as they predicted, the merchant was there again. He was standing about 50 feet up the road, his thumb pointing to the left, signifying that he needed a lift. Both passengers had a look of horror on their faces.

"That's him again," said Claire.

"I know, I know," replied Leon as he looked back at Sherry to make sure she was okay.

"Are you going to drive by him again?"

"I have no choice. Unless you want to talk to him."

"Ignore him. Just face the front."

The jeep coasted down the road, right up to where the merchant was standing. The cloaked man still had his arm up as the vehicle got close. Leon saw the man stare at him as he drove by. He did not look back. Again, the man disappeared in the reflection of the rear view mirror as they drove out of sight distance. After a few seconds, the two passengers stopped holding their breath.

"Did he look at you?" asked Claire.

Leon was hesitant to reply.

"Yeah, he did. But I didn't look at him. What the hell!?"

The merchant was standing roughly twenty feet ahead of the jeep. Miraculously, he had passed in front of the tourists without their notice.

"What? Again? How is he doing that!?" said Claire.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out," replied Leon as he took his foot off the gas.

The vehicle slowed to a stop right next to the hitch hiker. The ex-cop gave him the evil eye from the open side window. The dirty man in blue waved.

"Afternoon strangah. Where are ya headin'?" he asked.

He didn't seem to notice that Leon was pissed at him.

"Don't give me that. Why are you following us?" asked Leon seriously.

The merchant glanced up and down both sides of the street before coming closer to Leon's window.

"I'm not followin' you, strangah. I've been standin' 'ere the whole time," he said quietly.

Leon and Claire gave each other a weird look. Leon turned back to the merchant.

"There's no way you have been standing here the whole time. We passed by you three times on this road. Now, why are you following us?"

"I told ya, strangah. I ain't followin' anyone. I'm just mindin' me own business. But now that you're 'ere, would ya mind buyin' some of me merchandise?" asked the merchant as he opened up his coat for the second time.

"Look, I don't want to buy anything. All I want to know is why the hell you've been following us."

There was some silence here as the merchant closed his coat. Leon stared him down from his high position in the jeep. Claire leaned forward a bit so she could get a better view of the man outside the vehicle.

"Tell me, where ya folks headin'?" asked the merchant.

Great, now he was trying to change the subject. Leon's eyes flared.

"You think I'm going to tell you after you've been stalking us the whol time?!" he shouted.

"You folks. You wouldn't be happenin' to be visitin' old Little Town are ya?"

Leon backed off a bit, surprised that the man had guessed their destination dead on.

"Um. Yeah. We're heading there. Why?"

"Hm. How long have ya been drivin' for?"

"6 hours. No breaks. We are from out of the state. Why are you asking us this?"

"6 hours? Strangah, that's way too long. You should have reached Little Town over two hours ago. Tell ya what. Let me come along, and I'll help ya get there. Of course, there is a small fee ya have to pay."

"Wait wait, hold on. This road is just a straight line. You mean to tell me that we could have passed by it without noticing?"

"It's possible, strangah. I know these parts like the back of me hand. Little Town is a lot closer than you may think. I fact, I could probably beat you folks there just by walkin'."

Leon and Claire exchanged another glance. The thought of this guy knowing anything about where they were going just seemed out of place.

"Leon, let's go. He's not going to tell us anything," said Claire.

Leon turned back to the stranger.

"As great as that offer sounds, I'm going to have to take a step back. We'll get to Little Town on are own thanks. Oh, and if I find you following us again, I'm gonna straighten you out myself, got it?"

The merchant gave a thumbs up.

"Okay, take care, strangah."

Leon put his foot on the gas and the jeep sped off into the distance.

"What was that all about?" asked Claire.

"It's obvious. The guys on crack," replied Leon, almost seriously.

"But, you don't think he was telling the truth do you?"

"I'm not sure what to believe. But what he said didn't make any logical sense. How does picking him up get us to Little Town any quicker?"

"He said we should have been there two hours ago."

"I know what he said, Claire. Do you really trust him?"

"I don't know. Oh great. There he is again."

Leon slowed the jeep to a stop, a few feet away from the merchant. He was standing off road, waiting for someone to pick him up. He started waving again when he saw Leon pull up.

"How the hell is he doing that!?"

"Leon, you better go talk to him. I'll wait here with Sherry."

"Damn right I'm gonna talk to him!"

Leon hopped out of his vehicle and slammed the door shut. He walked over to the merchant a few feet ahead, muttering some curse words between breaths.

"Hello again, strangah. Can I interest you in anythin'?" greeted the merchant.

Leon ignored his friendly gesture. When he came within arm's reach, Leon grabbed the merchant roughly by the collar and lifted him up slightly.

"Did you not hear what I told you last time!? I'm gonna make you regret following us!"

The merchant's blue eyes locked with Leon's. Because of the scarf covering his face, he it looked like he was showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Ah, ah, ah, strangah. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Leon heard the sound of a gun chamber locking. He looked down to see the dirty man in his arms holding a handgun to his chest. Leon eased up on his grip, allowing the merchant to stand flat on his feet.

Claire couldn't tell that the stranger was carrying a gun because of the angle Leon was standing at. She was wondering, however, why the two men were standing so close together.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Leon, a bit of fear cracking in his voice.

"Strangah, I don't wanna hurt no one. I don't want any trouble. But if ya wanna pick a fight wit me, I'll gladly give it to ya."

There was some silence here as the two examined each other's eyes. Leon squinted as the merchant shoved the barrel closer into his chest.

"You said you can help us get to Little Town," said Leon.

"That I can strangah. For a price."

"How much?"

"Um... fifty bucks sounds 'bout fair."

Leon hesitated before replying again.

"Okay. I'll give you the money. I'll let you tag along with us. Only if you promise to help us get to where we want to go."

"Okay, strangah."

"But on one condition. You can't be carrying any of your guns while you're with us."

"Strangah, I always hold on to me merchandise. You can't take that from me."

"Fine. You'll have to sit in front with me. And you can't have any of your weapons out in the open. I have a little girl in that car."

"Deal, strangah. Pleasure doin' business with ya."

The merchant hid the gun from sight and shook Leon's hand rather aggressively with his other hand. Leon's face did not change from the stern look.

"Okay, let's go."

Leon and the merchant walked back to the jeep where Claire was now waiting on the outside.

"What's going on, Leon?" she asked.

"He's coming with us. You're going to have to sit in the back with Sherry," he replied.

"Okay."

"Ah, that's a nice jeep ya got there, strangah. I'll buy it at a high price!" exclaimed the merchant as he began rubbing his greasy hands up and down the hood of the vehicle.

"You sure we can trust him?" asked Claire quietly.

"We have no choice. Come on, let's get out of here. We've wasted enough time. And this heat is killing me."

Claire got in the back with Sherry who, surprisingly, was still sleeping. The merchant took his spot in the passenger seat while Leon took his spot in the drivers.

"So, where's the cash, strangah?" asked the hitch hiker.

"Oh no you don't. We haven't gotten there yet. When we get to Little Town, then we'll talk money," replied Leon.

"Suit yourself, strangah."

Once again, they drove off into the distance. The road remained the same for the next few hundred meters. It did not turn or wind. It was straight. And Leon followed it to the very best of his driving abilities. The road didn't seem to have any end, even with the addition of the merchant. Leon was feeling suspicious of the strange man the whole way.

"What's your name?" asked Leon all of a sudden.

There was no response from the merchant. His face was shrouded by the hood on his head. Leon checked the rear view mirror to find that Claire had fallen asleep as well. He and the merchant were the only ones fit enough for a conversation now.

"Hey, did you hear me? What's you name?" repeated Leon.

The merchant made no response. Leon rolled his eyes and punched the stranger across the face.

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry strangah. This seat is so comfy, I couldn't help but fall asleep," said the drowsy man.

"I can't believe I actually let you sit in here, even after I put so much work into getting it fixed."

"Ah well, what can ya do? It was goin' to get dirty sooner or later, strangah."

"Now, do you care to tell me what your name is?"

"Ah...me name? I... I don't have a name, strangah..."

Leon wasn't surprised at all.

This man's parents more than likely abandoned him at birth. Judging from his current state, that assumption was believable.

"But, that's not important, strangah. Ya mind tellin' me what your name is?"

Leon hesitated for a second.

He didn't feel at all comfortable revealing his name to this man. But he was in the car, and this was probably the only way they would be able to start any kind of friendly relationship. If the merchant was trying to be a nice guy with Leon, well, he had a long way to go.

"Leon. Leon S. Kennedy."

"Leon Kennedy. Well, all I can say is, it's a pleasure to meet ya, strangah."

There was some more hesitation on Leon's part. Perhaps opening up to this man would prove to be more of an advantage than a disadvantage. Everyone knows that it's always good to have friends who are skilled with firearms. Who knows, maybe Leon was just misjudging an honest man?

"Likewise."

Nope. If this hitch hiker was anything, he was far from being an honest man.


	3. Little Town

Kennedy of the West

Chapter 3: Little Town

"Okay, strangah. If ya keep going down this here road, you'll find Little Town on the right hand side. Just a few more miles now."

"I've been on this road since we arrived in the state. And you're telling me to just keep going? What the hell was the point in picking you up then?"

"Trust me, strangah. It makes all the difference."

Leon couldn't believe this guy. They had been driving for less than 20 minutes since the hitch hiker, and already Leon was getting tired of him. For the whole trip, the merchant had been rambling on and on about how he had travelled the world in search of "cash."

Apparently, he had no real place to call his home, or a family to spend time with. In a way, it seemed sad, but this man's past life was the last thing on Leon's mind. Driving on a straight road for close to seven hours can do numbers on a guy's body, inside and out.

For starters, Leon could barely feel his own legs. He rarely ever set his foot on the brakes; most of the time he just let the jeep coast. But staring at the same stretch of land without any breaks was torture. He did find entertainment in talking to Claire and Sherry, but it just wasn't enough to keep him entertained. There was always the radio, but Claire had already gotten sick of listening to heavy metal; plus, Leon's constant humming or occasional singing drove her mad. And now, to top it all off, the girls were asleep, making the merchant Leon's only source of entertainment or distraction.

He had already tried making light conversation with the guy, but it wasn't much fun. Once the strange man got onto a topic, there was no stopping him. Hell, the merchant could carry on a conversation all by himself without the need of a second participant. His awkward personality could be interpreted as him just thinking out loud, but the mere thought of that was beyond Leon's current trail of thought.

"What 'difference'? There is no other direction for me to go! If the town is where you say it is, I would have stumbled upon it myself without having to pick you up," said Leon as he stuck his arm out the window for some fresh air.

The merchant kept his eyes to the front, scratching his face every now and then. From the corner of his eye, Leon could see specks of dirt falling from the man's scarf. It was a real shame, especially after Leon went through so much trouble to get his car up and running again.

Back in Raccoon City, he had completely forgotten about his jeep when he was mobbed by infected civilians. He sought refuge in the RPD, where he then met Sherry and a strange woman in red. After enduring an army of undead monsters and BOWs, Leon, Claire and Sherry were reunited with each other. Together, they solved the mystery of the G-Virus and they escaped the city for good. Leon barely managed to save his car from the wreckage; that, as well as his own life.

Now, here he was driving his two friends to a secluded part of Texas, a so-called "vacation" spot as he referred to it as. Leon believed that both Claire and Sherry needed time to recover from the outbreak. In reality, he needed it too. Even though the outbreak was several months ago, he found himself constantly having dreams about the G-Virus and that mysterious woman in red. They weren't nightmares, nor were they just bad dreams; no, these dreams were more like visions.

Leon could picture himself in the same state he was in during Raccoon City. He remembered the fear and the hate that was bottled up inside the residents. He didn't know who to trust or what to believe in. He didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth; had it not been for Claire, Leon would never have been able to survive the outbreak. He constantly told himself this, but no matter how many times he tried to clear his mind, the visions would just keep appearing. He kept seeing her. That woman in red.

She went by the name of Ada Wong. He never knew if that was her real name or not. She had told him this in Raccoon City. There was something about her that Leon couldn't help but trust. Whether it was her voice or just her way with words, Leon found himself hooked onto her like a fish. He hated to think about her, yet at the same time he wanted to. Ada had saved his life numerous times in the past, and he was indebted to her. Her last words to him were, "I love you." Those words pierced him like a bullet every time he thought about her. Truth was, he left her to die beneath the wreckage of Raccoon. Sadly, he never knew if Ada survived or not. The thought of him leaving an innocent woman to die when he could have done something to prevent it just made him feel like a rat.

He never looked on the brighter side of the story. For at the expense of Ada's life, Leon was able to save Claire and Sherry.

The merchant, who had been minding his own business the whole time, spoke up.

"So...strangah, what's your story?"

Leon rolled his eyes. The merchant didn't even bother to respond to his earlier comment.

"My story? Why do you want to know?" he replied rudely.

The merchant cracked his knuckles and started rubbing his bandaged hands up and down the dash board.

"Just curious, strangah. There's no harm in telling me a little bit about yourself, is there?"

"Speak for yourself. You wouldn't even tell me your real name."

"I know. But, it doesn't do you any good. My name could be Mark. It could be John, or Michael. My name could even be Leon. Tell me, where is the benefit of learning my name, strangah?"

"'Where's the benefit'? I don't know, maybe a little trust?"

Leon said that last statement with a bit of sarcasm on his tongue.

"What? You don't trust me, strangah?"

Leon eyed the short man from the side of his view. After a few seconds of staring, he turned back to the road.

"Heh. You kidding me? Look at you. You look like you haven't taken a shower in over a week," said Leon.

"Heh. Pretty accurate, strangah."

"Am I? That's just terrible. Why were you standing out here in the middle of no where anyway?"

"Because I wanted to. I just wanted to get in some good business is all."

"In this wasteland? I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a desert. This road is our only hint of civilization. Seriously, you of all people should know that the key to a good business is location."

"I know, strangah."

"Did you sell anything?"

"No."

"Then you should consider yourself lucky that I decided to pick you up."

"You're right. I should be even more lucky that you are on your way to Little Town."

"What?"

"Oh look, strangah! There it is!"

The merchant sat up and pointed a greasy finger past the windshield. Leon pulled his arm back in to gain more control of the steering wheel. He couldn't believe his eyes at first―he had to blink a few times. But surprisingly, the merchant was right.

There on the horizon, on the right hand side of the road, stood a small cluster of buildings. There was no doubt in his mind; this was Little Town. Leon's face immediately lit up at the sight of civilization. Finally, he had made it to his destination.

He did not bother to ask how the merchant had done it, but he didn't care. Leon turned his head to the side to get a glimpse of Claire sleeping in the back.

"Hey Claire. Sherry. We made it!" he said.

Claire was the first to stir. After a yawn and a quick stretch, she sat up in her seat.

"Huh? Really?" she asked drowsily.

"Yep. There it is. Little town," replied Leon as he started to pick up speed.

"Heh heh. Told ya, strangah."

"Hey Sherry, wake up! We're here!" said Claire as she shook the girl back into reality.

Sherry rubbed her eyes and looked out the window.

"We are?" she asked.

"Yes!" replied Claire. "Um, aren't we, Leon?"

"We sure are. There's Little Town, right up there."

Leon slowed the jeep to a stop as he approached his destination.

The town itself looked like it belonged in a typical wild western movie, one with gun fights and locomotive bandits. There was a saloon, horse stalls, and even a blacksmiths shop. There was one strange characteristic about this town, though. For regardless of all the buildings and horses that were parked, there were no people walking about in the street. Leon pulled into the town with his vehicle and stopped below the large sign labelled, "Little Town," in black lettering.

The tourists sat in jeep in silence for a few moments, scanning their new environment. After some idle staring, Claire spoke up.

"Um, Leon, where are all the people?"

Leon couldn't bring the words to speak; he was just as dumbfounded as she was. It didn't make any sense. Where was everyone? In the brochure, it said that this was one of the most populated areas in Texas. But this small town―in the middle of no where mind you―was about as empty as the jeep's gas tank. Save for the horses, and the occasional chickens, this town was scarce of all civilization. It kind of reminded Leon about Raccoon City...

"Are you sure we're in the right place, Leon?" asked Claire.

Leon had a serious look on his face. Was it possible that he had somehow made a wrong turn? No, that couldn't be. The sign up above said "Little Town" as plain as day. Hesitantly, he turned to the man next to him.

"This is Little Town is it not?" he asked seriously.

The merchant nodded in response.

"What are we going to do, Leon?" asked Sherry from the back.

Leon sat up with both his hands on the wheel. After a moment of deep breathing, he exited his vehicle.

"I'm going to find out what's going on in this town. You three stay here," he said. He took a step away from his car before turning around to look back in through the window. "Oh, and if you try anything funny, I'll make you regret hitching a ride with me."

Obviously, he was referring to the merchant. The dirty man in the passenger seat gave a silly salute, signifying that he wasn't going to do anything to harm the ladies.

"Wait, Leon. Maybe I should come with you," said Claire all of a sudden.

Leon glanced at her.

"No. You need to stay with Sherry. Just make sure you keep an eye on this guy. I'll be back in a few minutes," he replied.

Claire sat back and put an arm around Sherry.

With a nod good-bye, Leon left the vehicle and walked into the town. He had the sudden feeling that something was going to jump out of one of the buildings and attack him. Just to be safe, he pulled out his combat knife, which he always kept with him under his pant leg. Cautiously, he made his way through the wasteland, weapon at the ready. Even though it was the middle of broad daylight, Leon could sense that someone was watching him through the windows of the buildings.

This town really was ancient. Not a single motorized vehicle could be seen parked anywhere. It seemed that the people who lived here had other means of transportation, such as the horses and carriages. There was even a rope with a noose dangling by a pole at the very end of the street. Actually, this street Leon was walking down was the only street in the whole town. No wonder the people didn't use cars; they had no need to. A small scratching sound caused Leon to turn on his heel.

"Who's there?" he said out loud.

His question was answered as a tumbleweed bounded across his path. A light breeze was blowing from the east, which was kind of odd considering there was absolutely no wind when he was driving on that road. He coughed as he turned around again, only to be greeted face to face by the barrel of a pistol. Leon froze on the spot, staring at the man who held the gun up to his forehead in the middle of the street.

"Well lookie what we have here," said the stranger.

Leon did not let his internal fear show, but kept a serious glare on his face.

"Who are you?" he asked, almost as if he was making a threat.

The man had a dark red bandana wrapped securely around his neck, revealing a thick beard of black on his chin; a black cowboy hat sat atop his head. He was dressed entirely in black, giving Leon the impression that he was some sort of bandit. Judging from the way he greeted strangers, he wasn't doubting his instincts.

"The name's Bert, runt. This here's my town. What's a girlie princess like you doin' out here?"

Leon could smell tobacco in Bert's breath. He winced at the stench, but refused to take his eyes off the enemy.

"I'm from out of the state. Is this Little Town?"

Bert laughed loudly at Leon's face, forcing him to stare into a maze of crooked yellow teeth.

"'Is this Little Town'? Ha! You bet your panties it is, princess! But this town has gone through some major changes. It has been renamed to Clarks Town. After me of course! See, me and my gang stumbled upon this little wreck of a place some two or three months ago. And well, I like it! I like it a lot! And you know what I do to things I like?" Bert stepped closer to Leon, but refused to move the pistol from it's position. "I make them my own."

Leon gripped his knife tightly as he inhaled the toxic fumes of Bert's mouth. His expression remained as solid as stone.

"So, you took over this town by force. Where I come from, that's illegal," replied Leon cooly.

"If I were you, runt, I would be very afraid right now. Every man who met the end of this gun, hasn't lived to tell his story. I plan to keep it that way."

Leon gritted his teeth.

"Hm. Well, it's good to be consistent."

"Sure is. It was nice talkin' to ya, princess. But I got work to do."

Leon heard the safety of the weapon click off. That was his chance to strike. He ducked just in time, dodging the bullet in the process. In one swift movement, he slammed the knife into Bert's leg. Bert keeled down and screamed in pain, leaving him wide open to attack. Leon kicked the gun out of his hand, knocking th bandit onto his back. The ex-cop stood triumphantly before him.

"Nice talking to you, too."

Bert snarled at his comment.

"Ah shit! Get 'im boys!"

Leon looked up the street to see a group of bandits on horses stampeding towards him. He knew that he had overstayed his welcome. As the sound of bullets and cowboy cries wrung throughout the air, Leon turned tail and sprinted for dear life back to the car.

In the jeep, Claire could see the ex-cop running for his life as angry horsemen chased him down.

"Oh God, what has he done this time?" she sighed.

Leon professionally rolled over the hood of his jeep and slid into the drivers seat, hitting the ignition instantly.

"Leon, what the hell is going on!?" shouted Claire as bullets ricocheted off the plating of the vehicle.

"We got to get out of here!" he replied as he slammed his foot on the gas and sped out of the area.

He drove back onto the main road and started heading west again. As the sound of gunshots disappeared in the distance, he slowed his breathing down.

"Leon, why were those men chasing you?"

"Something has gone wrong with that town. Look, just forget about it. The vacation is off. We're heading back to Raccoon City," he replied hastily.

"What? Why?"

"Claire! Those men tried to kill me! They took over that town! There's nothing we can do about it. I have to tell the president or someone about this!"

"Leon. What happened in there?"

There was a brief pause here before Leon responded.

"A bandit named Bert. He and his gang took over the town. And now the townspeople are living in fear of him. Or they could be dead. I... that's all I know. Or all I could deduct while I was running for my life."

"Where's the sherif?"

"I didn't have time to check. Look, it doesn't matter anymore. We just need to get out of here."

"We should call the police. Maybe they can do something about it."

That seemed like a good idea, but neither Claire nor Leon had a cell phone on them. Leon wasn't an experienced enough agent to be given a communicator, either. Nope, in this desert, they were on their own.

There was some more silence as Leon attempted to figure out the best course of action. As he checked the rear view mirror to see if he was being followed, he noticed something strange in the seat next to him.

The merchant was not in the passengers seat.

"Claire, where's the merchant?" he asked, glancing from the seat to the road.

She could hear the stress in his voice.

"What? He's right there, isn't he?" she replied.

"He's not here Claire! I told you to keep an eye on him!"

"I did! He was there when you left and he was there when you got back! If he left the car, I would have seen it!"

"Well, he's not here anymore! Shit! Where could he have gone?"

"I... I don't know..."

More silence now.

Leon needed time to catch up on his breathing. Something certainly wasn't right with this place. First, the endless road, then the town, and now, the merchant's disappearance? If he didn't know better, Leon would have thought there were greater forces at work here. Why not? After going through the torment of Raccoon City, hell he'd believe anything.

"Leon, what are we going to do now?" asked Sherry.

Leon could sense the fear in her voice, but he tried to ignore it.

"We're leaving, Sherry. I'm not going to put you in a situation where your life will be threatened. We're going home."

"Oh... Okay."

"What a waste of time that was," said Claire from the side.

Leon didn't want to admit it, but she was right. This whole trip had been a waste of time. Maybe it's about time he started finding a better job...

"Wait, what's that?"

Claire pointed up road, causing Leon's eyes to follow her finger in the direction. He stared blankly for a few minutes trying to make out the figure of shapes in the distance. After a few seconds, he realized the true horror of this desert.

Up the road, on the right hand side, stood not the merchant and a backpack of weapons, but a cluster of old buildings and houses. At the edge of the road by the structures stood a sign that read, "Little Town."


	4. Stranded

Kennedy of the West

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long update, but I've been busy with other crap and stories. Anyway, it's about time I updated this thing. Also, I went back and edited the previous three chapters. NOW Leon should seem more in character.

I'm debating whether or not I should change this from a Friendship to a Horror. At the rate this is going, I think I'm going to have to. Ah well, enjoy!

And review if you feel it's necessary!

-

Chapter 4: Stranded

"No...This can't be...I...I passed by that town already! How is it in front of us again?"

"Leon, calm down. I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for all this."

Leon glanced at her from the corner of his eye seriously, causing Claire to stare back.

"There can't be! I've been driving in a straight line since we entered the state!"

"Maybe it's a different town?"

Leon's shoulders drooped as he listened to Claire's words. Perhaps there was a chance that the town up ahead was a different one? Maybe this area had several towns that looked similar and bear the same name? Could there be a chance that the past couple of events have merely been mirages?

"You... You're right, Claire. I'm jumping to conclusions. Lets stop there and get some gas. And maybe we can get a bite to eat."

Leon's breathing was deep and consistent; he was trying to calm down. This road trip was getting too weird for him to bear. As the town became closer in view, Sherry clenched onto Claire's hand in the back seat.

"I don't think this is a good idea..." she said seriously.

Claire was feeling it too; there was something about the town that gave her chills, which was kind of odd considering they were in the middle of a desert. This didn't stop Leon at all from slowing the vehicle down; as he pulled up next to the large sign, the jeep turned in.

Everything was just as Leon remembered in the previous town. The town was composed of one long street, which crept all the way down to a noose dangling by a high pole. Several houses and stores lined the right and left side; the place was deserted. If Leon doubted it when he was on the road, he sure as hell believed it now: this was Little Town.

This was the exact same Little Town Leon had stumbled upon Bert Clarks. Strangely, none of the bandits could be seen anywhere.

The feeling that he was being spied on returned to the ex-cop.

"I don't understand. We were here already!" said Leon as he glanced around, trying to make out any civilians.

Claire stirred uneasily in her seat at his voice, but jumped at the sound of something popping nearby.

Suddenly, the hood of the jeep started oozing out a thick black smoke, blocking Leon from anything in his view.

"Leon, what the hell happened?" asked Claire.

Leon just stared at the black mess on the windshield; the sound of dripping liquid could be heard beneath the vehicle.

"Shit. I think we're stuck."

"What do you mean we're stuck?"

Leon put his foot down on the gas, but the tires refused to spin. The harder he pressed, the louder the low popping sound became. Leon took his foot off and slammed his fists on the steering wheel.

"Great! I just fixed this thing too!" he exclaimed.

"Claire, I'm scared," said Sherry quietly.

"Shh, it's alright. We're going to get out of here," replied Claire comfortingly.

Leon wished he could agree with her. He honestly didn't know what was wrong with the jeep.

In the last month, he had dedicated most of his time to repairing this thing; Leon couldn't have just settled with a new car. No, to him, this jeep was special; it was one of the few possessions he owned that survived Raccoon City. He didn't know much about auto mechanics—actually, this road trip was the first test run he had given the old girl since repair. Hopefully, someone in this old town would be able to help him out with his problem.

As the black smoke rising out of the engine cleared, Leon could see a faint figure standing off to the side in front of what appeared to be a hotel; it was an old man. The ex-cop had to squint in order to get a clear view.

The man down the street was jumping up and down and waving his arms, gesturing for the tourists to follow him. Claire noticed this too.

"Hey, there's a civilian," she said, pointing to the man.

Leon didn't move a muscle.

"But why is he jumping up and down like that?" he asked.

The man in the distance did not appear to be yelling anything, more than likely because he was trying to keep a low profile. The man was pointing frantically at the hotel he was standing in front of, trying to get Leon and Claire's attention.

"Maybe we should go see what he wants?" suggested Claire.

"We'll have to. I can't get this thing going. Come on," replied Leon as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and shoved them into his back pocket.

"Claire, I don't want to go out there," said Sherry fearfully.

Claire opened the door and stepped outside as Leon got out and walked over to the man.

"It's okay, Sherry, I'm right here. You don't have anything to worry about," replied Claire as she glanced at Leon.

"You promise?" asked Sherry.

"Promise."

With that, Sherry Birkin complied and grabbed the red head's hand. The pair then proceeded cautiously up the street to Leon who was already making conversation with the stranger.

"You mind telling me what the hell is going on with this town?" asked Lon seriously.

The other man, an old coot, probably in his 70's, was holding his heart and breathing heavily.

"There's no time to explain. You have to get inside. Quickly!" said the man as he grabbed Leon's arm forcefully.

Leon immediately broke free and backed off.

"Hold it! You have to tell me what happened to this town first!" replied Leon hastily.

The man, who was dressed in a dusty old vest and pants, persisted in trying to apprehend the ex-cop, ironically.

"You must listen to me! You and your family must get inside! Before they see us!"

The man had grabbed Leon with both arms this time, attempting to pull Leon towards the building. Leon, having the upper body strength, broke free again. By this time, Claire and Sherry had already joined his side.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" asked Claire to the strange man seriously.

The old man backed off, but did not run away.

"You must not be seen! You have a child with you! If The Leader finds out, you'll all be killed!" said the man loudly.

Claire and Leon exchanged glances as Sherry pressed her body closer into Claire's side. The man crouched down and pointed a boney finger at Sherry.

"They'll get you! They'll get you!" he kept repeating as he crept closer to the girl.

Leon was starting to feel uneasy, and rather disturbed by this man. In one swift motion, the government agent ran up the man and put him in a head lock.

"Look, I don't know what the hell is going on right now! I need answers, and you're going to give them to me!" he said as a threat.

The man barely put up a struggle to Leon's superior arms. He coughed loudly as dust and sand blew into his mouth and eyes.

"Alright! Alright! But you must go inside now!" he replied chokingly.

Claire nodded at Leon, causing him to let go of the old man. The stranger backed away and ran into the safety of the hotel. The three tourists followed instinctively; Leon gave one last look at his jeep before entering.

The man slammed the door and locked it behind the three friends as they entered the run down building. They were standing in what appeared to be a small lobby. Several chairs were positioned round a small coffee table in a corner of the room. A main desk took up the majority of the space, a small silver bell sitting atop it. A collection of landscape pictures lined the wall by the large staircase, giving the room a it of a haunted taste. The most disturbing feature about this lobby though, would have to be the fact that all the windows were boarded up tight. The only source of light was that of the light bulbs dangling from the ceiling.

The old man did a quick scan around the room before gesturing for the tourists to sit down around the coffee table. Hesitantly, they complied; the stranger pulled a stool up to the table. After a few moments of silence and uneasy stirring, the man spoke up.

"My name is Tucker Westwood. I... I own this hotel," he said calmly.

Somehow, his voice had dramatically changed; it wasn't fast paced and scratchy, but calm and collective, as if he was some sort of university professor. Claire was taken aback from this, but calmed down when she realized this man meant no real harm. Leon nodded his head as Tucker explained his background.

"I'm... I'm sure you folks are aware of what happened to this town," he continued.

"No, we're not. But I got one hell of a welcome the first time I came here," replied Leon seriously.

"Do accept my apology. This town never used to be like this believe me; I've been living here my entire life. But... those bandits.... they moved in and took everything from us. They... they killed the sheriff."

Both Leon and Claire raised an eyebrow at this out of surprise. The sheriff of this town was murdered? No wonder the place has been falling apart.

"Why doesn't the government know about this?" asked Leon.

"No one knows. Our town is so small and so isolated that not many people are even aware of our existence. We've tried seeking outside help, but every time a civilian tries to leave, they end up being gunned down by one of the bandits. We're trapped."

"How long have you been living like this?" asked Claire.

"A few months now. But I don't know how much more the people can take. Everyday, more and more folks are being shot down in the street."

"Oh my God..."

"I'm living in fear right now. I don't know how many of us are left, but it seems every day our population grows less and less. We've been cut off from all resources; I can't even get to the grocery store to get food without having a gun pointed at me."

Leon leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He still was in disbelief that the government was unaware of this. How can these people be living like this? Right now, he was probably the only authority figure alive in the town.

"Who's the leader of this group of bandits?" asked Claire.

Tucker shuffled his feet uneasily on the creaky floor before responding.

"We don't know his name. The townspeople refer to his as, 'The Leader' only because that is his job. No one has seen his true face because he keeps it hidden."

Leon and Claire replied with a nod.

"But... the only true fact we know about him is how much he hates children."

"He hates children?" asked Leon.

"Yes, he despises them. That's why I told you to come hide in here; you have a little girl with you."

Tucker looked at Sherry, causing her to turn away.

"I'm not a child," protested Sherry.

"What does he do to children?" asked Claire.

"Oh... it's terrible. If the bandits find a man roaming the street, he is shot down right on the spot. If they spot a woman wandering around, they capture her and rape... er... they kill her too. But children... they are a different case entirely. The Leader made it a law that any child found has to be hanged by the throat at the noose near the edge of town."

Claire Sherry gave each other nervous glances. Leon kept his eyes closed.

"Yes, I saw that as we came in," he replied.

"So now you know why I was so violent with you before. I'm.. sorry if I scared you in any way. I can't even get a grasp of my sanity anymore," continued Tucker.

Leon opened his eyes and stood up; he had enough to hear.

The other three looked at him instantly.

"Leon, what are you-"

The ex-cop offered his hand the Tucker who took it hesitantly; he stood up so that the two men were facing eye to eye.

"Tucker, I understand now. This whole thing is just one huge nightmare for you isn't it?" asked Leon as he shook hands with the old man.

Tucker had a worried look on his face.

"Yes. Yes it is," he replied.

"I know what it's like... Claire, Sherry and I all know what it's like... to see people dying right before your own eyes. We have more things in common than it may seem."

Tucker nodded as he let go of Kennedy's hand.

"We do?" he asked again.

"Tucker, we're going to help you. We're going find this 'leader' and we're going to take him down. No one should live a life like this."

"Really?"

"Yes. But, we have a bit of a problem ourselves. See, the vehicle we used to get here... it's broken down. Are you any good with mechanics?"

"Not really. But I know a fellow who can fix it for you."

"You do? Great! Ahem, but first thing's first. We need to get you out of here."

Claire stood up, eager to see what brilliant plan Leon had cooked up.

"What are you going to do, Leon?" she asked.

"I'm going to find The Leader, and take him out myself."

"Are you crazy? He has an entire gang behind him! We can't be so reckless, not when all these people's lives are at stake."

"You have a better plan?"

"Wait a second... Are you from... Were you sent here by the military to protect us?" asked Tucker.

Leon glanced at Sherry who was still sitting down.

"Um... Yes. Yes I was. I'm here to liberate the town," he lied.

Claire was about to slap herself at the seemingly stupid move, but then again, maybe this could be the motivation that the townsfolk needed.

"You're here to save us!? Oh yes! Thank you! Thank you so much! I... I don't think I have your name yet," said Tucker.

"Leon Kennedy," replied Leon with a smirk. "That's Claire and that's Sherry."

Tucker shook hands rather hastily with the girls before speaking.

"Oh this is just wonderful! You'll be able to put those bandits in their place! You're the new sheriff!"

Leon and Claire's eyes went wide at that.

"Wait what!?" asked Leon.

Tucker disappeared behind the large desk and came out with a small box.

"I've been keeping this safe since sheriff Broady was killed. Now... I want you to have it, Mr. Kennedy," he said.

Tucker opened the box and revealed a shining gold star, with the name, "sheriff," embedded on the front.

The badge glistened under the light bulbs and reflected off of Leon's eyes.

"Hold on a second, I can't be the sheriff!" said Leon as he glanced at Claire, hoping for some backup.

She was just as dumbfounded as he was.

"Of course you can! There is no law stating who HAS to be the sheriff. Whoever owns the badge has rightful ownership the title. And now, Leon, I want you to have it."

Tucker took out the star and handed it to Leon, who took it instinctively. He looked at his reflection stare back at him obliviously.

"I'm... the sheriff..." he mumbled.

Tucker closed the box and set it on the table.

"That's right! You're the sheriff! Alright, you folks are welcome to stay here in my hotel, free of charge of course. Just be sure to keep out of sight from the outside. And-"

"Wait wait wait wait. Leon, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, wouldn't it be better to find a way to communicate with the president himself? You know, let him know what's going on?" asked Claire.

"We can't. I can't make any contact with the outside, remember?" replied Leon.

"Oh yeah. Well, is there a phone around here anywhere?"

"Um. I think there may be one at the bar up the street, but I'm not one hundred percent sure," said Tucker.

"A phone at the bar? That may be the only chance we have of getting any outside help," responded Leon.

"You could try, but those bandits always hang around there. You're going to need a weapon if you are going to stand a chance against them."

Leon looked at Claire who returned the gesture with a worried look.

"Okay. Sign me up."

Claire rolled her eyes and sighed at his comment. Some vacation this was turning out to be.


	5. Familiar Faces

Kennedy of the West

**Author's Note:** Time for an update. Yeesh, this thing hasn't even seen any action yet has it? I think it's safe to say that this is one of two Resident Evil Westerns that are posted on this website. So at least I can write this knowing that the concept has never been done before. Please review!

-

Chapter 5: Familiar Faces

Leon hastily scrambled down the deserted street, occasionally glancing at the noose hanging on the far end of town. He spotted the blacksmith's shop on the opposite side and quickly made his way across, looking about for bandits. Claire, Sherry and Tucker watched him nervously from inside the hotel.

"He found it," muttered Claire, peaking through a boarded-up window. Leon disappeared into the shop, making Claire's stomach churn. "I can't believe he's actually going through with it."

Tucker came up to the red-head and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Your husband's doing a good thing protecting this town," he said, a small tear in his eye. "Such kindness. Such bravery. Are all you city-folk like this?"

Claire brushed his arm off and looked back out at the street.

"He's not my husband," she replied bluntly. "He's not even related to me."

"Oh, sorry. I just figured-"

"That we're married and Sherry's our daughter? No, but close guess."

Tucker looked down at Sherry who was sitting on one of the nearby chairs, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Is Leon going to be okay?" she asked worriedly. Claire sat down next to her, holding her hand tight.

"Don't worry, sweetie," she comforted. "Leon's going to be just fine. He'll be back."

Tucker wiped the sweat off his bald forehead.

"I sure hope so. But if he's a strong as you say he is, I don't think we have anything to worry about. After all, he's the sheriff," he said.

"He's only been sheriff for ten minutes," retorted Claire. "Lasted longer than the old sheriff..." Tucker shrugged his shoulders, causing Sherry and Claire's spine to shiver.

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

Leon cautiously entered the shop, looking around for any sign of civilized life. The shop was relatively small compared to the lobby in the hotel. Various types of weaponry were hung throughout the store, from guns, to swords, to knives, to grenades, this blacksmith had it all. Strangely, a lot of the items on display seemed awfully familiar to the ex-cop. It was almost as if he had seen these things somewhere before. Somewhere in the blue coat of a wandering hitchhiker...

"Hello? Anyone in here?" asked Leon, approaching the sandy front counter. He rang the small bell that chimed throughout the shop. A clanging sound was heard from the back room, followed by the sound of something expensive shattering.

"Coming! Just give me a moment!" replied a male voice from the door behind the counter.

Leon began rapping his fingers on the counter, gazing at the weapons on the wall. He figured that this was where all those bandits got their supplies from. He was only hoping that the blacksmith wasn't a member of the gang. Sheriff or not, this town was definitely a dangerous place to be living. Suddenly, a shorter man in a dirty blue trench coat appeared from the door, a heavy cash-register in his bandaged hands. His face was blocked by the machine he was carrying.

"Can I help you, strangah?" asked the man behind the counter.

Leon froze for a moment, believing that he knew who this shopkeeper was.

"Um...yeah," he replied uncomfortably. "You sell guns here?"

The man placed the register gently on the dirty counter before wiping his hands together.

"Sure do, strangah. You got-"

The man stopped in mid-sentence and froze on the spot, staring into Leon's brown eyes. Leon stared back at the merchant's blue eyes, realizing that this man was the hitchhiker from before. The two ended up looking at each other from opposite sides of the counter for some time. Strangely, the merchant's appearance had not changed since Leon last saw him; he was still wearing the blue coat and he was still wearing that atrocious scarf. The ex-cop gritted his teeth angrily.

"You..." he muttered coldly, glaring at the man's blue eyes.

The merchant backed up, a certain fear shaking him up.

"Look, strangah, I can explain..." he replied.

"My ass you can!" Leon reached for the merchant and grabbed his collar, pulling him onto the counter. The merchant fought back, but was over powered by Leon's strength. "You've got thirty seconds to tell me where the hell you went after I left you!" shouted Leon, shaking the man's collar.

The merchant, on his stomach, coughed aggressively before replying.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, strangah! I've been in my shop the whole time!"

"Bullshit! Why did you leave us behind?!"

"Strangah, let go!"

"Not until I get soem answers!" The, merchant quickly pulled a handgun from his belt and aimed it at Leon's face. Leon stared down the barrel of the gun before letting go of his captive. The merchant held his gun out and backed up behind the counter again. The American raised his arms cautiously. "Look, I just want to know what the hell is going on here," he said honestly.

The merchant glared at him, gun still pointed.

"What is this, strangah? I help you get to Littletown after hours of endless driving and this is the thanks I get? I never even got my fifty bucks!"

Leon lowered his arms and stood tall.

"So it was you from before..." he muttered, ignoring his comment. "But if that's true, how the hell did you get away without my noticing?"

"I have my ways, strangah. Now get out of my store unless you want me to report you to the bandits."

Leon's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You work for the bandits?" he asked.

The merchant slid the handgun into the bowels of his coat and crossed his arms.

"Do I work for the bandits, strangah? Oh no, of course not!" he replied, a hidden smirk on his face. Leon wiped the sweat from his forehead in relief, realizing that this man was no real threat. "But I do sell me merchandise to them, heh heh." The merchant began rubbing his hands together as if he were cold. "Strangah, you have no idea how much cash these men in black are carrying on them. I've almost made enough money to buy a house in Spain!"

The ex-cop stared at the blue man seriously.

"Why are you selling those thugs weapons? Don't you realized they've imprisoned the locals in their own town!?" he cried.

"Money is money, strangah. A guy's got to make a living."

"Oh this is just great!" Leon threw his arms up into the air and turned around before putting his hands on his hips. "I waltz in here thinking you have the fire-power needed to liberate this town, and I find out the guy running this place is eating out of the bad guys' hands!"

"Actually, it's The Leader's hands, strangah. He's the only one who ever comes in here."

Leon turned around, glancing at the dirty man in blue.

"The Leader?" he asked, recognizing the name. "You know The Leader?"

"Aye, I do, strangah." The merchant froze momentarily before continuing. "As a matter of fact, strangah, I know quite a few things about The Leader that you may want to know. I mean, if you feel like freeing the townspeople and everything."

Leon was still amazed that the merchant didn't care what was happening to Littletown. However, he knew that The Leader must have been a powerful person if he could lead an army of bandits in to take over the town.

"Well, I am the sheriff," replied the ex-cop, gesturing towards the gold badge over his heart. "What do you got for me?"

"Ah, ah, ah, strangah," said the merchant, waving a scrawny finger in the air. "Hot information like this comes with a price...as always..."

Leon's eyes flared.

"Are you kidding me!?" he shouted. "In case you forgot, I'm the one who drove your sorry ass to your store!"

"But I'm the one who told you where to go, strangah."

"If I didn't come along, I bet you'd still be standing out there in the middle of the desert!"

The merchant stroked his scarf a few times and stared at the ceiling, which looked as if it were going to collapse from the weak support beams.

"Sorry, strangah. Money is money," he said, looking back at the American. "But you're right, I guess I do owe you something in return. Tell ya what: I'll give you a discount! Five bucks and you got yourself some juicy information on The Leader!"

Leon thought quickly on what the best course of action would be. He knew he needed to get that information somehow, and negotiating with the merchant wasn't going to solve anything. Interrogation was out of the question too, because who knew what crazy gadgets the merchant carried in his coat. After several seconds of pondering, Leon finally made up his mind.

"Okay, fine, you win," he said unenthusiastically, taking out his wallet and removing a bill. He handed it to the merchant's greasy paws and the blue man accepted it graciously.

"Heh heh. Thank you," he replied, stuffing the bill into the cash register. "Now, what is it you wanna know about The Leader, strangah?"

Leon paused.

"Do you know The Leader's identity?" he asked seriously.

The merchant shrugged his shoulders.

"Nope. No one does, strangah. The Leader always has his face hidden with a hood and scarf. Not even any of the bandits knows who he is."

"Hood and scarf? That sounds awfully familiar..." Leon studied the merchant's attire, but shook his head. "Nah..."

"What was that, strangah?"

"Urm, nothing. What else can you tell me about The Leader?"

"That'll be another five bucks."

"Another five bucks!?"

"Speak of the devil, strangah."

The merchant looked up at a giant man towering over Leon's backside. Leon froze on the spot, detecting the presence of a large body standing behind him. A cold, dark essence descended from the man as he breathed deeply down the back of the ex-cop's neck. Leon felt the hairs on his back twitch in surprise.

"Hm..." muttered the American as he crouched slightly.

"Afternoon, strangah. You here to pick up another one of me weapons?" asked the merchant to the tall figure behind Leon.

The tall man, standing approximately six and a half feet tall, nodded his hooded head slowly. He was dressed entirely in a black coat; not even his eyes were visible under the shadow casted by the hood.

Leon was nailed to the ground.

"Who are you?" he asked casually without turning around.

The taller man made no reply. Soon, the merchant disappeared through the door behind him and returned with a slim Rocket Launcher in his arms.

"Here ya go, strangah. Just like you ordered. And I polished it nice and shiny for you!" he said cheerfully.

The dark stranger brushed past Leon, shoving him slightly, and received the explosive weapon from the merchant. As he accepted the Launcher, the man glanced down at the ex-cop. He noticed the shiny badge on his chest.

"So...you're the new sheriff in town?" asked a deep, raspy voice that reeked with tobacco.

Leon stared up at the stranger, glaring bravely, holding his ground.

"I am," he replied bluntly. "Now who are you?" The tall man swung the Rocket over his shoulder before stomping over to the exit. Leon watched him leave every step of the way, but the stranger did not turn around. After the door slammed shut, Leon inhaled deeply. He glared at the merchant who stared at him obliviously. "Don't tell me that was The Leader," he said seriously. The merchant chuckled.

"Heh heh," he replied, looking at the ground. "That's too good for a guess, strangah."

Leon grimaced.

"I figured. And now he has a Rocket Launcher with him. Who knows what he plans to do with that." The sheriff pulled out his wallet and tossed it on the counter. The merchant eyed it eagerly.

"Whatcha doin' strangah?"

Leon slapped his hand hard on the counter.

"Give me something cheap, but durable and piercing. I have a job to do."

The merchant chuckled again.

"Heh. Pleasure doin' business with you, strangah. Oh, and by the way, before you go out and start gettin' yourself killed, you may want to know what happened to the old sheriff."

Leon pondered again, but this time he was reminded of Claire and Sherry, and that weird old man in the hotel. He had to make sure The Leaer didn't get to them before he did.

"What happened to the old sheriff?" asked Leon.

The merchant reached up on a shelf and pulled down a powerful Punisher Handgun. He checked the chamber and loaded a full clip into it, then he twirled it professionally on his finger.

"I'll show ya, strangah. He's upstairs."

-

**Author's Note:** Is the story any good so far? I know it's kind of early to tell, so please review and let me know if I should keep going with it. Give me your thoughts, your opinions, or your criticisms. Please review! It's been a while since I wrote a Resident Evil story.


	6. Everyone Loves the Sheriff

Kennedy of the West

Chapter 6: Everyone Loves the Sheriff

The merchant wrapped his oily bandaged hand around the doorknob and unlocked it with a key. He then proceeded to pull the door open very slowly at a snail's pace. A long high-pitched creak echoed throughout the narrow hallway on the second floor of the shop. Leon stood behind the blue man arms crossed; he was not impressed.

"If you're trying to scare me," said the ex-cop, "you're doing a terrible job."

Of course, he was referring to the creaking sound. Although it did add to the dark musty atmosphere in the poorly lit hall, now was surely not the time to be playing jokes. What did the merchant mean when he said the old sheriff was "upstairs?" Something didn't seem right.

"Aw, don't be such a spoil-sport, strangah," replied the merchant, opening the door all the way. "You still owe me fifty bucks you know."

Leon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever."

The American brushed past the shorter man into the dusty room. He found himself standing in a small bedroom with the windows boarded up. A small dresser with a cracked mirror stood on the left wall, some of its drawers taken out and its contents strewn about the room. The carpet was a sickening green color and crunched wherever the ex-cop stepped. Some of the mouldy wallpaper near the dresser was pealed, torn, or had bullet holes in it, as if there had been a gunfight in here just moments before. A single bed with creamy sheets lay opposite the dresser and against the wall, and beneath the sheets lay what appeared to be a human body. The body was of a male build. Leon pinched his nose and grimaced at the stench in the room.

"Jesus! What died in here?" he asked, turning back to the merchant.

The merchant stepped lightly into the room, swaying side to side with each step he took.

"See for yourself, strangah," he responded, pointing a thin finger at the body on the bed.

Leon hesitated before following the man's gaze. He crept quietly up to the bedside and stood above the stiff beneath the stained sheets.

"What you said downstairs..." started the American. "...You can't be serious can you?"

The merchant shrugged his shoulders.

"It's a shame really," he replied. "The poor guy didn't last a day when those bandits came to town, strangah. First, they chased him out of his office into the streets. Then they shot one of his legs so he couldn't escape. They tied a rope around his neck and dragged him up the street all the way to the noose at the edge of town. He managed to get away before getting hanged because some of the townsfolk banded together to save him. They brought him back here to heal, but none of the folks who helped him survived." The merchant looked down at the body before continuing. "The sheriff barricaded himself in this room and tried to fight off the bandits with his only pistol, but it wasn't enough."

Leon looked over at the bullet holes in the wallpaper and nodded his head.

"So there was a shooting in here..." he muttered.

"One of the gang leaders, um what was his name? Starts with a 'B' I think... Anyways, strangah, one of the gang leaders led a group into this room and they disarmed the sheriff. They then threw him on the bed and..."

The merchant threw off the bed sheets, causing Leon to jump back in fright.

"Oh my God!" he cried, putting his arms up in defence.

A naked, rotting, crimson corpse lay upon the bed, its arms at its side, its mouth agape, its eyeballs whiter than the sheets. A look of pain and horror was embedded in its face.

"...They peeled off his skin with a machete, strangah," finished the merchant, taking a step back.

Leon approached the red body cautiously, examining every detail, from the crusty scars on its forehead to the bullet hole in its left leg. Leon felt his stomach churning in disgust, but he quickly grabbed his mouth and shook himself out of it.

"Urgh... You said they _peeled_ his skin with a machete?" he asked in disbelief.

The merchant nodded.

"Aye, strangah. It took them four men. Three to hold him down. One to do the job," he replied.

Leon's eyes went wide.

"Hold him down? You mean-"

"This man was skinned alive, strangah."

"Jesus Christ..." Leon took a step back and rubbed his forehead. "What kind of sickos are these?" The ex-cop had experience a lot in his young life. Indeed, Leon could deal with blood-thirsty zombies, monstrous Lickers, or demonic canines any day. But never in his life had he come across something like this. These weren't just criminals he was dealing with now. These were psychotic men with nothing but bloodshed on their minds. Why didn't the government know about this? Leon's eyes flared with anger as he turned away from the bleeding corpse on the bed. "Cover it up. I don't want to see anymore," he ordered.

The merchant obediently followed suit.

"So, what are you going to do now, strangah?" he asked. "You still want to be the new sheriff?"

Leon clenched his fist in anger, unsure of what he should do. Surely, he had a chance at defeating these bandits if he targeted The Leader, but they still outnumbered him a hundred men to one. He couldn't get his car fixed for at least a few days, and that was assuming he could find a mechanic in town. Then there was the fact that Claire and Sherry were in the same trouble as he was. This whole thing was just one huge dilemma.

"I have no choice now," said Leon after a minute of pausing. "These people need to be saved. I can't just step down and let those crooks take what isn't theirs. And I have friends to worry about."

"Oh, you mean the pretty lady with the red hair and the little girl, strangah?" asked the merchant curiously. "Where are they anyways?"

"They're at the hotel on the other side of the street. I told them to wait for me."

"The hotel, strangah? That's an odd place to hide your family..."

Leon glared at him.

"What are you talking about? They're not my-" He stopped. The two men exchanged glances quickly. "An odd place?"

"Well yeah, strangah," replied the merchant cooly. "I mean, that's where The Leader keeps his-"

A loud knocking sound interrupted the merchant in mid-sentence, followed by someone shouting.

"HEY IN THERE! OPEN THE DOOR NOW YOU HEAR ME!"

The merchant immediately scrambled out of the room and headed downstairs.

"Argh! I shouldn't have left the store unattended! I'm comin', strangah!" he replied back.

Leon quickly followed the short man.

"Wait stop!" he shouted. "It could be one of the bandits!"

The ex-cop slid down the small rail and grabbed the merchant before he could reach the front door.

"Let go, strangah! There's customers at the door!"

"OPEN THE DOOR DAMMIT!"

"Do those sound like customers to you!" cried Leon as he threw the merchant behind the counter.

Before he could react, the merchant grabbed Leon's collar and pulled him over the counter with him and they both collapsed to the floor. At that moment, the door burst open and three men dressed in black entered the shop.

"Thought I heard a noise in here," said Bert, walking up to the counter. The other two men stood on either side of him, their large hats covering their identities. The merchant and Leon scrambled beneath the counter, wrestling each other.

"Shh!" said the ex-cop as quietly as he could. "There's someone in here!"

"Let me handle this, strangah," replied the merchant. Leon found himself letting go of the greasy man as he pulled himself to his feet. "Welcome!" greeted the blue man as he stood up as straight as he could. "What're ya buyin'?"

Bert and the other bandits exchanged glances with each other before turning back to the merchant.

"What were you doin' under the counter?" asked Bert, tobacco reeking from his hairy mouth.

The merchant was not swayed by the dark man's outward appearance and kept a straight face beneath his scarf.

"Um..." he replied hesitantly. "I was, uh, renovatin', strangah. Yup! Lots of cleaning and organizing to do under the counter! But I'm here now! What can I interest you in?"

The two bandits behind Bert chuckled to themselves.

"I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!" said Bert, forgetting all about the merchant's made up story. "Just thought I'd pop in to, you know, give him a warm greeting."

The bandits chuckled some more. Bert pulled out a shining machete from its holster, gleaming in the light. The merchant eyed it greedily.

"Ah, a fine piece of metal you got there, strangah!" he exclaimed, leaning towards it. "I'll buy it at a high price!"

The gang leader quickly pulled it away from the greasy man.

"It's not for you!" he shouted. "Unless you want me to skin you here and now." Bert leaned in close to the merchant with the blade. "I haven't killed anything in a long time. Not since the last sheriff anyhow."

Leon's eyes went wide. The murderers were standing in the same room as he was! He looked down at the golden badge over his heart and nodded his head. Instinctively, the ex-cop grabbed his Punisher handgun from its holster and stood up, aiming at the first thing he saw.

"Freeze!" he shouted. "You're under arrest for-"

He found himself freezing when he realized who's presence he was standing in. From the black hat to the red bandana to the dirty beard on his chin, Leon recognized the bandit as Bert. The other two were most definitely just lowly goons who worked under him. Unfortunately, Bert recognized the American also.

"Well, well," he said, an evil smirk forming on his face. "If it isn't the little princess from before!" Bert slowly sheathed his machete and put his hands up in the air. "How you doin' beautiful?"

Leon brushed off his insult like a bothersome fly.

"You..." said Leon, his eyes narrowing on the criminal he met earlier. "You're the one who killed the old sheriff?"

"Buahaha! You bet yer panties I did!" he replied, revealing (yet again) a set of rotting yellowed teeth. "And lookie what we got here boys! Our little princess has grown up into a sheriff!"

Bert pointed to the gold badge on Leon's chest, causing the other two bandits to laugh with him.

"But sir, isn't that the guy who gave you that cut in your leg?" asked one of the goons all of a sudden.

"Shut yer mouth, Eugene. I wasn't talkin' ta you!" replied Bert rudely.

Leon clicked off the safety in his weapon.

"You are in no position to be making threats," he said with a deathly glare, trying to sound intimidating.

"Speak for yerself, runt," Bert spat.

Leon felt the barrel of a handgun press up against the side of his head. The merchant clicked off the safety of his weapon.

"Merchant! What are you doing!" cried Leon, his aim still fixed on Bert.

"Sorry, strangah, but these men are my finest customers. I can't have you shootin' them up. That'd put me out of business!"

"Are you out of your mind! It's thanks to these guys you have a dead body lying in your bedroom!"

"Business is business, strangah. Besides, you still owe me fifty bucks."

"Hahahaha!" hollered Bert, grabbing his stomach. "This is just too cute! Look boys! Our little princess is gettin' all flustered!"

Again, the goons laughed. Leon cursed to himself in his head.

"Dammit! I can't count on anyone in this town!" he shouted. "When I get out of here, your ass is dead you back stabbing son of a-"

"Hey, easy strangah. I'm only looking out for my shop."

This of course, only made Bert and his cronies laugh even more. The merchant kept his sights locked on the side of Leon's head.

"So what's it gonna be, runt?" asked Bert all of a sudden. "You gonna shoot me and lose a head? Or would you rather surrender and let me skin ya alive like I did to old Jenkins upstairs? The choice is yours, my lady."

Leon hesitated, thinking about a plan. He honestly had no idea what to do, but then again, he's been in tighter spots before. Luckily, he was good at thinking on his feet. The ex-cop slowly brought his gun into its holster and put his hands up.

"Aw, we givin' up? Yer no fun at all," said Bert, trying to sound upset but failing.

"Not quite," replied Leon with a smirk.

"What?"

"Take this!"

Leon quickly grabbed the merchant by the collar and threw him over the counter at the bandits.

"Whoa, strangah!" cried the blue man as he collided with Bert, dropping his weapon in the process. All the bandits fell to the ground in a pile.

"Quick! Stop him!" ordered Bert. "Don't let him get away!"

His goons quickly got to their feet, but by that time, Leon was already running up the stairs in the back of the shop. He ran to the musty bedroom and locked the door. He then pulled the dresser up against the door, attempting to barricade himself in. The bandits began ramming into the door almost immediately after.

"LET US IN, RUNT!" bellowed Bert from the other side.

"Go to hell!" replied Leon, looking around the room for anything else that could be use to stall them.

Sadly, there was nothing else in the room except for a bed and a corpse. Leon cursed out loud as the door finally gave away and the three bandits burst into the room, their guns aimed at the first thing they saw. Leon put his hands up and backed as far into the room as he could.

"Hahaha! Who's the one who ought to freeze now!" said Bert obnoxiously, aiming his handgun at Leon's forehead. "Any last words, princess?"

Leon swallowed hard as his eyes kept darting back and forth around the room. He stared at Bert straight in the eyes before an idea struck him. The ex-cop gave another smirk.

"Last words? I'm just getting started," he said.

Leon turned around and ran towards the boarded window as fast as he could. He put his arms over his head and jumped out the window, smashing through the wooden boards in the process.

"_What the hell are you doing, Leon!_" he thought to himself as he flew through the air outside. "_You've never jumped out a window before! You're on the second floor!_"

And as such, the ex-cop fell two stories and landed on his butt in a vacant horse trough. He quickly shook the dirty water (and the shock from the fall) out of his hair before staggering across the street to the hotel, cursing every step of the way.

The three bandits started shooting at him from the second floor of the merchant's store, but luckily, their aiming was off due to Leon's distance.

"Aw shoot, boss!" said one of Bert's goons as he put his gun away. "The runt got away!"

Bert holstered his handgun aggressively.

"Not for long," he snarled. "He's heading to the hotel. Round up the horses, boys! We got ourselves a sheriff to catch! YEEHOO!"

**Author's Note:** Sorry for not updating in a while! Review please!


	7. Retaliation

Kennedy of the West

Chapter 7: Retaliation

Leon burst through the front doors of the hotel panting heavily with his gun in hand. Claire, who had been sitting in the lounge area with Sherry and Tucker, got to her feet immediately.

"Leon! Are you ok?" she asked as she went over to help her friend. She pulled him into the room nearly falling over, but he quickly broke free from her and slammed the door shut, locking it tight.

"Tucker! Get Sherry out of here!" ordered the ex-cop as he ran over to one of the boarded windows, attempting to see between the planks.

Tucker had a look of nervousness and shock all over his sweaty face.

"W-What's happening?" he asked shaking.

Sherry shivered in fear.

"Leon?..." she said.

Leon turned to his friends, a serious glare in his eyes.

"The bandits are heading this way," he said. "So Tucker I need you to take Sherry somewhere safe."

"But...where?" asked the fearful old man.

"Anywhere but here!" shouted Leon as bullets started piercing through the thin walls of the hotel. Both Leon and Claire got on the ground and covered their heads. Tucker, though hesitant at first, knew what he had to do. He quickly grabbed Sherry by the hand and began leading her to the store room.

"This way, Sherry, come on!" he said frantically.

Sherry followed, but her gaze was still set on her two friends.

"Leon! Claire!" she cried.

"Don't worry, Sherry, we'll be fine!" replied Claire as more gunfire was heard.

In a matter of seconds, the old man and the girl had completely vacated the room, leaving the two Americans by their lonesome. Leon kept his Punisher close to his chest.

"Alright runt!" shouted Bert from outside the hotel. "You got 10 seconds to get out here or we're comin' in after ya! 10!" The other two bandits laughed, readying thier handguns. Leon and Claire remained on the ground inside the building.

"What the hell is going on here, Leon?" she said. "You were supposed to go find the telephone at the bar!"

Leon grimaced at her by the front window as Bert began his countdown.

"Some of the bandits saw me!" he replied. "It's not easy to hide when you're in the middle of broad daylight!"

"You didn't even go to the bar did you..." Claire said with a frown.

Leon paused momentarily.

"Telephones don't win gunfights," he replied cooly as he tapped his handgun lightly on his head.

"3!...2!...1!" shouted Bert. "This is yer last chance princess!" The bandits stood in silence for a few seconds awaiting a reply, but of course Leon wasn't dumb enough to do that. "Humph. Alright, have it your way then!" Bert turned to his goons and gestured them towards the door with his head. The chuckled in unison as the three of them waltzed up to the door, Bert leading the pack. He stepped up to the door and kicked it down with ease, revealing an empty hotel lobby. The bandit leader spat professionally. "They're in here..." he said quietly as he clicked off the safety in his weapon. "Split up. First one to kill the runt gets a drink on me."

"But...what if you kill him first?" asked Eugene curiously.

Bert snarled at him unimpressed.

"Then yer buyin' for me!" he yelled, spitting again.

The three bandits split up, Bert heading behind the counter, one goon heading up the stairs, and one goon heading down the stairs to the store room. Leon and Claire held their breath under the counter as they heard heavy boots stomping over to their position.

"Shit, he's right on top of us!" whispered Claire, crouching as far down as she could. "He'll see us for sure if he leans over the counter!"

Leon thought for a few seconds before coming up with a plan.

"Claire," he said, "I have an idea."

Once the other two bandits had left the room Bert began examining the reception area behind the counter, looking at the files and room keys, but no "princess" for him to shoot. He noticed the silver bell sitting on the countertop and, as any mischievious person would, he pressed it, causing the sound to echo throughout the room. Suddenly, Claire popped up from behind the counter and leaned over it casually.

"Hey there," she greeted. "Are you checking in for the day?"

Bert nearly jumped for joy upon seeing her feminine face, but instead replied with a whistle and a sinister smile.

"Howdy there, little lady," he said taking off his hat, revealing strands of long, greasy black hair. "I ain't never seen you 'round these parts before." He put his hat on the counter near her hand. "How may I be addressin' thee?"

Claire would have laughed at his attempt at being a gentleman had it not been for his gross outward appearance. She continued to play along.

"I should be the one asking you that," she replied with a cute smile. "You're the guest here."

"That I am." Bert holstered his weapon without thinking and leaned over the counter, causing her to arch her neck back slightly. "Say, how's about you and me get a room here for the day?" he said, tabacco reeking in his breath. "I'm sure we could have ourselves a good time."

He gave another smile with his yellow teeth. Claire forced a friendly smile, attempting not to gag at the scent of his breath.

"Erm, that's very kind of you," she responded, "but I'm working all night."

"I'm sure I could get one of my boys to watch the counter for you..." He put his hand on top of Claire's on the counter, causing her to lean back a little. "What do ya say to that?" Bert moved his mouth close to her face, forcing her to turn her head completely out of disgust.

All of a sudden, Leon sprung up from behind the counter next to Claire, Punisher in hand, aimed right at Bert's face.

"I say, you shouldn't get so distracted when you know you have a job to do," he said seriously.

Upon seeing the barrell of the gun, Bert let go of Claire and backed away.

"Aw shit!" he cried.

Leon quickly changed his aim and shot Bert in his good leg, causing him to tumble over on the ground.

"Dammit!" he hollered. "Eugene! Get yer ass down here!"

Eugene immediately came running down the stairs near the counter, but Leon was faster. The ex-cop professionally leaped over the counter, shooting the gun out of Eugene's hand and landing on his feet. Eugene froze in terror at the bottom of the stairs.

"Um...boss?" he said nervously.

Claire ran over and picked up the bandit's dropped gun and pointed it at Bert while Leon's eyes remained fixed on Eugene.

"You guys picked the wrong sheriff to mess with," he said seriously before shooting Eugene in the leg.

"Gahhh!" he cried as he fell to the ground. Leon approached the bandit and grabbed him.

"You're lucky I work for the government," he said, "otherwise, you'd all be dead by now." He threw Eugene on top of Bert, causing both of them to moan in pain. Claire gave a nodd to her partner while keeping her gun pointed.

"Nice work, Leon," she said.

Leon replied with a nodd before going over to Bert and disarming him completely. He managed to remove his handgun, machete, and combat knife (that was Leon's from before), which were the only weapons he had on him.

"These will come in handy," exclaimed Leon as he handed Claire another handgun. He tossed the machete behind the counter and put the other handgun in his attache case before continuing. "Now..." he said. "You have some explaining to do."

Bert was about to open his mouth to say something, but was interupted when a girl's scream rang throughout the lobby followed by a gun shot. Leon and Claire immediately looked at each other in fear.

"Sherry!" they both cried in unison.

Leon turned and ran to the door leading to the store room downstairs.

"Claire, you keep an eye on those two!" he shouted before disappearing down the stairs.

Claire prayed in her mind that the gunshot she heard following the scream was only a figment of her imagination.

"Sherry, where are you!" cried Leon as he ran into the store room.

He looked about the unusually large room full of barrels and crates. The only source of light was that of a few lightbulbs dangling from the ceiling. There was a blood smear on the ground in front of him that lead around one of the large wooden boxes. Quietly, Leon held up his weapon and crept around the corner to find Tucker sitting up against the crate in a pool of his own blood. Leon nearly screamed in shock, but instead ran over to his friend and examined the body.

Tucker had been shot through the chest.

Leon lowered his head in shame, knowing very well that this scenario could have been prevented had he come down here sooner. However, only one gunshot had been heard from upstairs, which meant that Sherry must have still been alive, just hiding somewhere. By the same token, the third bandit was also still at large, armed and dangerous.

Leon readied his weapon and began the hunt. He knew that if the bandit saw him, he would not hesitate to shoot and kill just as he had done to the old man. And even if Leon did get the first shot on his legs, he could still get punished for not disarming his foe. This was going to be test of both speed and skill.

"Sherry," whispered Leon as he snuck around the maze of barrels as quickly as he could. "Sherry, you in here?"

He noticed that there were a few barrels in the room that did not have any lids on them.

"_Sherry's a smart kid_," he thought. "_The best place for her to hide in this room would definitely be in one of these barrels. The only question is... which one?_" He scanned the tops of every barrel he came across, but only a few were topless. And every single topless one he came across was empty. "_Dammit. At this rate I'm going to have to get rid of that bandit first. But where is he?..._"

Leon turned a corner to see the bandit standing at the end of the path of barrels. The enemy noticed the ex-cop and quickly fired off his weapon at him. Leon ducked behind the barrel just in time.

"Come out where I can see you!" shouted the bandit.

Leon cursed beneath his breath.

"_Think of something, come on! There has to be a way for me to disarm him!_"

He heard the sound of the bandit reloading his weapon, which he knew was his only chance to strike. Leon knocked down the empty barrel he was hiding behind and kicked it towards the bandit.

"What in tarnation!" cried the bandit. He had no time to react as the barrel quickly rolled down the path and knocked him off his feet, causing his gun to fly into one of the stationed empty barrels. Leon immediately ran over to him and shot his leg, forcing the bandit to scream in pain. "Argh! You'll pay for this!"

"Gotcha good, didn't I?" replied the ex-cop as he holstered his gun, lifted the man up with both arms, and dropped him upsidedown in a barrel. Leon then grabbed a spare lid and sealed it tight. Luckily, all of the lids had a small hole for air cirulation in them. The bandit was cursing and thrashing in the container, but Leon just ignored him. "Sherry, it's safe to come out now," he said.

A few moments after, young Sherry Birkin emerged from a barrel on the other side of the room.

"Leon..." she said, still shaken up from the past events. She ran over and embraced him. "Oh Leon! I'm so glad you're okay!"

She seemed like she was about to cry, but she didn't. Leon knew that Sherry was a strong girl.

"It's alright now, I'm here to protect you," he replied reassuringly.

She looked up at him innocently.

"But...Mr. Tucker got shot..." she said. "He tried to save me."

Leon nodded slowly.

"I know," he replied. "What he did was a good thing. But there's no point in sobbing over it now. The important thing is we are all safe and these guys are all immobilized."

He gestured towards the barrel with the bandit, causing Sherry to run up and kick it.

"Serves you right you piss off!" she shouted. Leon was surprised by her choice of words there.

"Hey! Watch it kid!" replied the bandit in the barrel. "When I get out of here, I'm coming after you first!"

She made a face at the barrel and joined Leon by his side.

"Let's go back upstairs, Leon. I don't like it down here."

Leon gave a serious nodd.

"You read my mind," he said, looking at the barrel. "But first, you're going to have to do something for me."

"Huh? What's that?" she asked curiously.

Leon brushed his hair out of his eyes and smirked.

"Help me carry this guy up to the first floor."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm a slow updater I know, but you're going to have to bear with me here. Reviews are appreciated please and thanks!


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